Write@Home
Winter 2015

Settlement

Bus moving on the road in city in early morning

The arrival of settlers to new countries is always interesting. The feeling of starting a new life, leaving behind what you know, and adapting to a new culture can be daunting.

As an immigrant who lived in Canada for 3 years, I think settling in Canada is not an easy thing to do. The most difficult aspect of adjusting to life in Canada is getting used to the diversity of culture. For example, the first few weeks for me were disappointing because of the differences in culture and language. But once I started noticing that people here are so kind and helpful even when they don’t know me, it made me feel so much better.

There is a story I never forgot. The first time I took the bus I didn't know that the bus only takes coins. I walked on the busy bus, and I only had paper money and the driver told me, "coins only". The first moment I felt like a fish out of water. At that time, I didn’t know what I should to do. But a woman so kind behind me saw this story and she helped me pay that bus ticket. Then I thanked her and asked her to take the paper money I had. But she didn't accept and told me "Welcome to Canada".

In conclusion, coming to a new country is a really exciting experience. It can be sad and scary, but you have to have an open mind and try everything the country has. You need to be flexible with how you live to feel at home in a new place.